Process of manufacturing gunstocks



June 25, 1940' R. SPRENGER PROCESS 0F MANUFACTURING' GUNSTGCKS Filed Jan. 22. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Richard Sprenger", by. HIS Attorney.

June 25, 1940. R SPRENGER 2,205,891

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING GUNSTOCKS Filed Jan. 22, 193s 2 sheets-sneer 2 O O IO O O O I O O JA Wl '2/ O y o Inventor:

Richard 5 1^ ngezr',

Patented June 25, 1940 I PROCESS F MANUFACTURING GUNSTOCKS Richard Sprenger, Hennigsdorf, near Berlin, Germany, assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application January z2, 193s, Serial No. 186,429

In Germany February 5, 1937 2 Claims.

My invention relates to molded gunstocks and more particularly to an improved process of making them.

One object of my `invention is to provide an improved core for use during the molding proc- AnotherV object of my invention is to provide an improved joint between sections of the gunstock.

For a better understanding of my invention tol0` gether with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following' description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a molded gunstock; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a lamination of yfibrous material used in the process of `making the gunstock of Fig. 1-; Fig. 3 is` a cross-sectional `view of a partly dnished gunstock; Fig. `4 is a cross-sectional view of a finished gunstock; Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged cross-sectional views of the gunstock of Fig. 3 taken along line 5--5 and 6 6, respectively; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the die forming the g5 barrel end of the stock; and Fig. 8 discloses a cross-sectional view of a die forming the shoulder end of the stock; Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the die taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 7; Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line lli-I0 of Fig. 8; and Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the front end of a stock in the process of molding illustrating a novel removable core in use during the molding process in accordance with my invention.

In the making of a gunstock heretofore, hard woods have had to be used, and in view of the fact that these woods are becoming more and more difllcult to obtain, other methods of making these stocks have become impor-tant. Furthermore, in the rough handlings of guns such as occurs in army weapons, the gunstocks have beensubject to splitting and warping due to their absorption of'moisture and various other rough handling. Substitution of metal stocks covered with rubber or similar materials has not been successful in view of the fact that the coverings could not be made satisfactorily. In accordance with the process, which the present invention improves, the entire stock is built of a moldabie compound which is a fibrous material saturated with one of the many synthetic resins such as a phenolic condensation product for example. The fibrous material used in accordance with one phase of my invention is spun paper fibers. These nbers may be merely spun, or may be spun and (ci. 1li-"ssi woven into fabric which is` then cut into sheets and assembled so that the edges thereof are offset. saturated with resin and then molded.

As above stated, the bers are preferably arranged in sheets as shown in Fig. 2, the shape o! which is designed to conform to the ultimate shape of the gunstock. Thus, for example, the sheet is tapered from the butt end to the riiie Aend of the stock. being reduced at points corresponding to the design of the trigger mechanism and the barrel support. Notches I5 and II are cut so as to form initially the opening through which the breech block and trigger mechanism may be inserted with a minimum amount of machining operation.

When a suiiicient number of these laminations have been formed, they are placed into a die, as shown in Fig. 7, for example, and cores il and I8 are inserted to form the hollow stock, and thereby reduce the weight thereof. This forming process takes place in stages, so that only a portion of the dies is heated-to form the necessary portion of the stock whilethe remainder of the die remains cool. Thus, in Fig. 7, with the aid of cores I1 and i8, the forward portion of the gunstock is molded. In Fig. 8 the butt end of the stock is molded with the aid of cores I3, 20, and 2|. while the forward end 22 of the die holding the forward portion oi the stock is cooled. In this process, the completed stock is molded from the sheets shown in Fig. 2, and in order to strengthen the stock, core pieces are inserted between sections of different diameter of the stock. In Fig. 7, for example, a core member 23 is inserted between the two sections of the forward end oi the stock which have dierent diameters, and is thereby completely welded into the side walls of the gunstock. This core member may, of course, be made of sheet material rolled into the proper size,'or it may be a mass of short fibers saturated with the synthetic material and given proper shape so that upon the application of heat and pressure by the dies, it will unite with the sheets or laminations oi the` material shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a completed gunstock, and discloses the sections 24, 25, of the forward end of the stock as being fully united with the core 23 and a similar core 26. The slot 21 through the stock between the butt end 28 and the forward end 25 is machined in order to receive the breech block. A core 29 is united with the butt end of the stock in order to form a solid mass capable of receiving the shock of the discharging weapon.

In Fig. 4 I have disclosed a method o! ilnishing the butt end of the stock.- In this ligure, the core member 32 is inserted in the middle of the butt .for the'purpose of strengthening it and for the ner of offsetting the abutting edges, or joints, so as to avoid a-weak spot in the finished article.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view along line 9 9 of Fig. '1. disclosing the die members 35, 36, 31, and 38. In the molding process, the dies 35 and 36 form a groove into which the laminations of Fig. 2 are placedand heldby the core members l1 and I8. After the ends of these laminations are suitably overlapped, the die members 31 and 38 are inserted and force the ends of the laminations inwardly to finish the gunstock in this section.

Fig. 10 discloses a section of the'die taken along YlineV Iiii8 ofk Fig. 8.

In this section of the gunstock, cores I3, 28, kand 2! are used, section 20 forming ya wedge forcing the cores I9 and 2l y against the walls offthe core in' order to,` furnish ess. Fig. 11 discloses another Vphase of my invention; Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a gunstock ofA which the necessary pressureduring*the-molding procone section'is molded andthe second section is in the dies ready to be molded. Plugs 40 and 4I are provided at the ends ofthe completed sectionV 42.

Plug 4I is` solid, but plug 40 is provided with an opening -43 which is vclosed by a removable stopper 44. lThe space between the plugs 40 and Y4 I is filled with a granulated material which may be sand, or small shot. When pressure is applied These views show Yclearlythe lamina tions of which the stock is built up and the manby the dies 4l and 48, to the second section o! the gunstocs, this material furnishes a backing or a support for the plug 4I, so that the plug will not be displaced. After the molding'process, this core may be removed through the opening in the plug 40 in order to lighten the stock.V A solid tapered core 41 is used to moldthe other end of the stock, as in the method shown in Fig. 7.k

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A process for forming gunstocks of laminated material impregnated'with a phenolic condensation product which includes preforming said laminations'and rolling them into a hollow structure divided into sections by spaced plugs, applying heatand pressure to a section of said laminations, filling the space between plugs in. said iinished v section with a removable core material and applying heat and pressure to an adjacent section of said structure whereby the plugs in said structure j are maintained in position during the successive applications of pressure to adjacent sections of the said structure. respectively.

2. A process lfor forming a gunstock of lami-n nated material impregnated with a. phenolic condensation product which includes stacking pre-` formed laminations and yrolling them into a hollow structure, placingthe edges of said laminations into abutting and oiset relationship, Plugging the ends of said hollow structure therebydividing the space within said structure into a totally enclosed space andan open-ended space, applying heat and pressure to the gunstock section between plugs' which form the totally enclosed space, thereafter lling said totally f enclosed space through an opening in one of the plugs with a removable granulated core material, andthereter applying heat andpressure to the openended space section of `said gunstock whereby the plugs .inV said stock are held in their respective predetermined positions during the second operation by action of said removable core.

' -v RICHARD SPRENGER. 

